Penguins of Madagascar Special Debuts Monday

Ancient squirrel folklore turns into a chase for riches when Nickelodeon premieres an all-new DreamWorks Animation The Penguins of Madagascar special, “The Lost Treasure of the Golden Squirrel,” on Monday, July 19, at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT).

BURBANK, Calif. – July 14, 2010 – Ancient squirrel folklore turns into a chase for riches when Nickelodeon premieres an all-new DreamWorks Animation The Penguins of Madagascar special, “The Lost Treasure of the Golden Squirrel,” on Monday, July 19, at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT). The half-hour special kicks off a week of The Penguins of Madagascar premieres every night at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT) through Friday, July 23.

The Emmy Award-winning series from Nickelodeon and DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (Nasdaq: DWA), which regularly airs on Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. (ET/PT), ranks as the number-two animated series with kids 2-11 and kids 6-11 on all TV and is basic cable’s number-two animated series with total viewers, behind SpongeBob SquarePants, quarter to date. The show also holds the record as Nickelodeon’s most-watched animated series premiere in network history with 6.4 million total viewers.

In “The Lost Treasure of the Golden Squirrel,” squirrel folklore speaks of a great treasure lost in time – a treasure so vast it would corrupt the soul of anyone who sought to possess it. When the penguins witness King Rat and his minions steal a mysterious key the treasure hunt begins. The lemurs, Fred and Marlene, join the chase hoping to find the riches before the rats, but according to the folklore, must first stand the chance of having the treasure corrupt their souls.

The July 19 premiere will be simulcast on Nick Mobile and sneak peeks will be available online and via Nick’s wireless partners closer to the special’s premiere. Also coinciding with the premiere, Nick.com will host two major digital events to include a brand new Penguins Clubhouse, where kids can immerse themselves in the Penguins universe by taking on critical missions, play games in their training facility and earn points and badges. Additionally, a new multi-level Penguins game will launch, Treasures of the Golden Squirrel, where kids can choose a penguin character and explore their way through tunnels of sewers, mines, ice caves and fire pits for treasure.

The Penguins of Madagascar follows the exploits of the beloved penguin brothers from DreamWorks Animation’s hit feature films Madagascar ($532 million worldwide gross) and Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa (nearly $579 million worldwide). Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private are a group of penguins who believe they are an elite strike force with top-tier commando skills that is headquartered at New York City’s Central Park Zoo. Their orderly world is disrupted by the arrival of the lemurs, who are led by the imperially deluded King Julien. The series has just garnered a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Animated Program.

Andy Richter (Late Night with Conan O’ Brien) and Tom McGrath (co-created the penguin characters and co-directed both Madagascar films) reprise their roles as Mort and Skipper from the feature films. Nicole Sullivan (Rita Rocks) voices the role of Marlene the otter, Jeff Bennett (Enchanted) voices Kowalski, James Patrick Stuart (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) voices Private, John DiMaggio (Futurama) voices Rico and Danny Jacobs (Futurama) stars as Julien, King of the Lemurs. The Penguins of Madagascar is executive produced by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley, (Disney’s Kim Possible and Hercules, Sky High) and is produced at the Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, Calif.

About DreamWorks AnimationDreamWorks Animation creates high-quality entertainment, including CG animated feature films, television specials and series, live entertainment properties and online virtual worlds, meant for audiences around the world. The Company has world-class creative talent, a strong and experienced management team and advanced filmmaking technology and techniques. All of DreamWorks Animation’s feature films are now being produced in 3D. The Company has theatrically released a total of 18 animated feature films, including the franchise properties, Shrek, Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda.

About NickelodeonNickelodeon, now in its 31st year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 16 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc.